This morning I spoke at Seattle Christian to 400 kids who are fired up to help Haiti. I was encouraged to see the younger generation of Americans excited to help. Now I am on hold with Delta Airlines booking flights for 12 tent deliverers who will fly the 1000 tents we are putting together right into Santo Domingo this Saturday. But that is not why I am writing. I am writing to invite you to Joel’s 32nd Birthday tonight at Forza Coffee in Puyallup. It is at 8pm. Be there. And bring a tent. Or ten tents.
Joel’s Birthday Bash
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Safe Return
Joel and I returned home safely from our first trip into Haiti. Our return was sooner than expected but we realized that we could make a bigger difference by being on the ground here at home and raising awareness and supplys for the subsequent trips back into Haiti. Our short term goal is to collect 1000 two or four-man tents to fly back into Haiti within the week. We are well on our way to that goal, but we are still in need of tents! Most of the tents in the Puyallup area have already been purchased, you may have to go further out to find some, or if you would rather us find them for you, you can donate to the nations foundation and get a tax reciept HERE.
Joel and I will be premeiring a short documentary of footage that we shot while on the ground in Port Au Prince this Wednesday evening at the downtown Puyallup Forza for Joel’s 32nd birthday bash. Joel told me earlier today, “all I want for my birthday is 1000 tents. It is my double sweet 16, and all I want is tents to take back to Haiti”. Our community has a very unique chance to directly bless the people in Haiti. While hundreds of millions of dollars of relief are still floating in the port unable to get to the people who need it most, we can literally fly the tents in and drive them to the mothers with infants and small children who need them most. The tents that you purchase will literally be on the ground and inhabited by the most needy people on earth within the week. You have my word on that.
Haiti Relief Donations
I set up a direct account for the needed support. I NEED $1,500 BY THE END OF TODAY. I have raised almost $1,000 so far, and I thank everyone for your support! Be proud. Any money above what we need will be left with the Christian Dominican Medical Missionaries who have been saving lives tirelessly since the shake.
(If you do not have a paypal account, you can still contribute. Click this button, then on the Paypal page just click the link on the lower left side of the page that says “do not have a paypal account”. Additionally, at this point it has been easier to keep funding out of the realm of non profit status as there are many hang ups within that world and the money is harder to access. Again, thank you for your trust and support!)
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HAITI TRIP NEWS!
God has put Haiti on my heart these last weeks, and though I originally had no intention of any action further than lending my financial support, my plans have changed. A ministry that I have been involved with for the last few years has a need on a first response team that will fly into Haiti in these coming weeks. The duration of the trip is as of yet unknown but our best guess is somewhere between a week and two weeks.
I am in a strange spot in my life right now. I am so grateful to have been blessed with a schedule that allows me to travel and do ministry. If you have a heart for Haiti and the work that is happening there but cannot go yourself, I would ask for your prayer support as I go forward representing the church here in Puyallup and America. We are the change.
I am not going to ask anyone for money. But you should serve in the same way I am: Be it vicarious, by donating to the cause of life, restoration, and salvation for one of the most broken places on earth. If you want your dollars to make a difference, help send my team as we will be traveling with 65 doctors, nurses, and a team of 10 leaders who will set up the base of operations so that more teams can be sent in. The goal over the next years is to rebuild Haiti with Christ at the center. What an opportunity we have been given.
What I have right now is time. So that is what I am able to give. If you have support, give support. I’d rather have you pray for me than give me money, as I am trusting that God will provide what I need. If you have questions of any sort do not hesitate to contact me at: drewkonzelman@gmail.com. If you want to see what it looks like at ground level 48hrs after the quake and are not disturbed by realistic images of the destruction and death, click HERE.
Thank you so much for being the body of Christ. If you do choose to support me, there is a button below. Be the change.
Drew Eden
(If you do not have a paypal account, you can still contribute. Click this button, then on the Paypal page just click the link on the lower left side of the page that says “do not have a paypal account”).
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Haiti
Estimates say that more than 100,000 Haitians lost their lives in the 7.0 earthquake that struck the capitol city of PORT-AU-PRINCE Haiti less than 24 hours ago. Do not let your day slip past in complacent comfort as fellow humans are in dire need of help. Text “HAITI” to “90999” to donate $10 to assist the Red Cross relief effort. This comes straight from whitehouse.gov.
Here is a sobering set of images captured thus far: http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/01/earthquake_in_haiti.html
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just a thought.
The days are getting shorter. December 22nd is the darkest day of the year. From there, the days will increase in length by 3 min each day until glorious summer comes around once again. But for now, it is darkness that pervades the short days.
My dad told me that someone he knows was getting in his car with his wife in downtown Tacoma when he heard this odd sound, like nothing he’d heard before. He looked around and found a man lying motionless on the sidewalk. He quickly realized that the man had just jumped 11 stories from the roof of the apartment building. He found the man to have a faint pulse that quickly faded as the mans life slipped from this material world into another.
I do not tell you this story to make you sentimental or to upset your appetite. I tell you this story because you could have been standing behind that same man today at Starbucks. You could have passed that same man at the mall. He could have looked rich. He could have looked like he had no money at all. And that would have probably made a difference to you. It’s sad really. And what would you have done? Probably kept on walking, thinking about the last text message you read, or what is next on your list of things to purchase.
I realized today that at some point we have to ask ourselves what we want our life to be about. Perhaps it will take sitting down by yourself for five minutes and asking “Is the type of life I am living today what life is all about”. If someone had taken my challenge yesterday, maybe that man wouldn’t have jumped. Who knows. Or maybe someone that you will interact with tomorrow will be in the same situation. You have to ask yourself, what do you want your life to be about.
Persecution
If ever you are feeling like your Christian walk is stagnate and complacent, think of the persecuted church. If ever you do not feel like God misses minute by minute interaction with you and your unique personality, think of the persecuted church. When you wake up Sunday morning, get into your $30,000 car and drive to a five million-dollar church building, think of the persecuted church. When you daily take for granted the freedom to practice your faith, choosing to believe and live your life as you choose, think of the persecuted church. When you lay down, pray for the persecuted church. When you wake up, do not take for granted the unique freedom we have to believe what we choose. The freedom we have to believe in the truth. The freedom to believe that life is sacred and is a gift from God.
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Skis and movies…
My brothers and I are SO excited to be skiing this early in the season. We are going up this Wednesday, November 11th to Crystal Mountain where the snow is reportedly 30 inches deep at the summit! If you will be up there Wednesday, give me a shout out and we will connect! Also, the new Warren Miller movie is out and is currently touring in our area! If you want to see a schedule of when and where you can see it click here.
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Free Applebee’s
For one day only you can eat free at Applebee’s with proof of military ID. Pretty sweet.
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First Tent Trip
The News Tribune ran a great article about what we are doing. You can read it HERE.
We still need tents and funds to keep the tents moving. Tent or financial donations can be given directly to Calvary Community Church, or online through Imperial Motion.
(photo cred. The News Tribune)